1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a male and female connection structure and, in particular, to a male and female connection structure suited for carrying large current.
2. Description of the Related Art
A connector as a conventional male and female connection structure is known, the connector comprising a male connector and a female connector being able to be fitted into a hood part of a male connector housing having a male tab, where a lock arm is formed on the female connector housing having a female terminal fitting, and a pressing part formed on the lock arm presses down a receiving part of an elastic contact segment for sandwiching the male tab formed in the female terminal fitting together with the start of fitting operation between the male connector and the female connector, so that before the male tab contacts the contact part of the contact segment, the contact part is pressed down. This technique is disclosed in JP-A-2006-216272.
The male and female connection structure described in JP-A-2006-216272 has a structure that the contact part of the contact segment is elastically changed in the shape in a direction getting away from the male tab together with the start of fitting operation, so that a fitting resistance is reduced and reduction of an insertion force can be realized.
However, since the connector as a conventional male and female connection structure disclosed in JP-A-2006-216272 has a structure that the pressing part is pressed down by that an operator presses the elastic contact segment by using the lock arm separately from the fitting operation between the male connector and the female connector, as a result, it is difficult that the fitting operation between the male connector and the female connector is easily carried out. Particularly, the difficulty is remarkably increase in the case that an energizing force of the elastic contact segment is enlarged as a countermeasure against a vibration affecting the fitting condition between the male tab (male terminal) and the female terminal fitting (female terminal). Further, the above-mentioned problem occurs in a case that the male terminal is inserted into the female terminal, but, on the contrary, it similarly occurs in a case that the male terminal is removed from the female terminal.